Hannah in Wonderland
by chalkbutterfly
Summary: A challenge to myself - can I write a female Naruto OC without writing a Sue? When Hannah dreams of a mysterious Voice, and wakes up in the Naruto-verse, her first thought is that she must be dreaming. Her second thought is 'But this isn't even my fandom'. Can an ordinary girl survive in the Naruto-verse, and can she save the dream?
1. Chapter 1

**This fic is two things at once - a challenge to myself, and a story I had been toying with for a very long time. All concrit is appreciated, and if anyone has any questions, please ask! I like to think that I'm a very friendly person.**

* * *

The Great Spirit of Manga and Anime looked down, and thought "Well, I suppose this one will do..."

* * *

Hannah was dreaming, a fairly standard dream comprised of cherry blossoms and wind, when a booming voice awoke her. "Oh, sweet Jesus, THIS is what you dream about? I'm starting to second-guess your suitability..."

"What, mysterious dream-voice, this is an extremely important moment in Tokyo Babylon! Wait, I can't usually speak during dreams... What's going on? Is this some form of lucid dream?"

"I suppose you could say that. YOU, Hannah, have been selected to give a dying world a second chance, although why you specifically is beyond me..." The voice boomed.

A girl with long brown hair stood from where she was sitting. "What do you mean, a dying world? Like, a sun about to explode of something?" Her blue eyes were inquisitive.

"Well, a close enough analogy, although crude. You see," It echoed through the silence, the unnatural wind having quieted. "every dream creates a world, and now one of these worlds has come under threat. We have chosen you to save this world, because we believe you have the skills and character necessary."

Hannah looked around, searching for The Voice, as she had named it, in vain. There was nothing but darkness, the cherry blossom tree and the boys underneath it having vanished. "Every dream creates a world..? What a nice idea. Still, what world will I be saving? Is it one with knights and princesses? Oh, this is shaping up to be an epic dream!"

"This is and isn't a dream, Hannah. What you decide here will change your life." The Voice became, if that was possible, even more solemn. "If you accept, you will be saving the Naruto-verse, as its fans fondly call it."

Hannah had been cowed by the previous declaration, but she still felt like she had to make her voice heard.

"Couldn't I save the Tokyo Babylon world instead?" She asked in a small voice.

"Silly girl, somebody's already done that. Where do you think Hokuto came from?"

Hannah went cold. Hokuto had died, to save her beloved little brother. She had no particular attachment to the Naruto-verse, having quit just after the beginning of Shippuden, because she had felt that the storyline was dragging.

But... This was a chance to have an adventure! At eighteen, she was applying for university, and she still felt as though she were waiting for the TARDIS to appear, or to stumble across a gateway into a new world. Could she really turn this opportunity down, if it was real? What would she regret more, taking a chance or letting it slip by?

"If I accept, what happens to me, my life? I have family here, I don't want them to wonder what happened to me!" She cried out. She loved her family, although her mother was always tired, and her sister was demanding. They were her family, and they meant the world to her, even though she was preparing to go to university.

"If you complete the quest, and save the world, we'll open a portal between them for you to use - you can go back and forth as you please. If you fail, you wake up, nothing lost." It promised.

"So, it's a no-lose situation..?" She questioned, unsure. "There's no way that this can go wrong?"

"You have my word." The Voice boomed. "If you die, you return here. Think of this as the Game Over screen, except instead of play again, you have the option to return home."

"In which case, I accept!" She had felt as though her life had been too dull to tolerate lately, endless amounts of studying and memorizing knowledge she was never going to get the chance to use. If she did this, maybe she could make a difference, and finally feel as though her life had some purpose.

* * *

Three hours later, she was beginning to regret her hasty decision.

"Yes, I'm not to tell anyone about my origins, I get it!" She hollered, fed up. "That'd be a really stupid thing to do, anyhow! 'Oh, hi, Hokage-sama, I'm from another world, and I'm here to save you all!'." She struck a mock superhero pose that Rock Lee would have been proud of. "No being a Mary Sue, no making all of the boys fall for me, I understand! It'd be weird having somebody else's face!" She protested. "Do you give everybody this lecture?"

"Yes, everybody gets the talk. Mary Sues kill dreams, don't you know, and nobody wants that. I suppose I was being overly cautious as the Naruto fandom is one of the largest, and creates some of the best dreams, but I see that I should have a little more faith in you." Somehow, The Voice gave the impression that it was sheepishly scratching the back of its head, despite the fact that it was non-corporeal.

"Alright, obviously we'll boost your stats to Naruto-verse average, and considering what a talented cohort you have, I suppose you can have one extra skill, free of charge - think of it as your initial skill, like in a RPG."

"Okay, so I get a RPG skill... Can I have a pet, a familiar of some kind?" She asked, suddenly excited by the idea of having her own Akamaru, or Dove-kun.

"What did I say about Mary Sues, Hannah?" The Voice reprimanded her.

"Right, right, sorry." She mentally thwacked herself.

"I take back what I said about having faith in you, just for the record. Alright, how about the ability to mimic sounds and voices? That would come in useful."

"Ooooh, does that mean I'd be able to sing? I can't hold a tune in a bucket, so yes, I'll take that one!"

"No, wait-! That's a Sue trait-!"

But it was too late. The bargain was struck, and Hannah fell into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for reading! I hope Hannah comes off as nonSueish, but please review with your opinion, no matter what it is! ^^**

* * *

Hannah awoke slowly, the scent of blood cloying in her nose. She lifted her hand up to check if she was having a nosebleed, maybe having knocked her head on the bedpost during the night, but when her hand came back dry and dusty, she began to worry.

She opened her eyes slowly, and was shocked by the carnage she saw. Bodies lay mutilated on the dirt path, a man's arm with no torso in sight lying only a few feet to her left. She whimpered, then bolted up to be sick in the nearby bushes. As she dry-wretched, she heard the sound of footprints approaching. Afraid that it might be the killers returned, she ducked behind the bushes. She let out a squeak as someone dropped down behind her, lifting her up.

The voice called out something indusinguishable, in what Hannah thought was Japanese. She only had a manga fan's knowledge of Japanese, knowing how to pronounce something as destiny, but unable to ask for directions.

"Dare ka?" The stranger in a white ANBU mask with a cat painted on it asked. Dare was one of the question words, right? But which one? Hannah shook her head, trying to signal incomprehension. How tall was this bloody stranger, anyway?

"Namae wa?" He asked, voice softening, and this one Hannah knew how to answer. "Watashi no namae wa Hannah desu!" She exclaimed, proud of herself.

* * *

Cat looked down from his position in a nearby tree to see a young girl, no more than three, emptying the contents of her stomach near the ambushed merchant's caravan they had found when it failed to arrive on time and a search party was sent out. He jumped down behind her, picking her up and holding her in his arms. He asked who she was, but she shook her head. He wasn't used to dealing with children quite so young, but he guessed that she might not have understood the question. Hell, the girl was probably in shock, being the only survivor of the massacre, small wonder she was unable to speak.

"What's your name?" He asked, voice gentler. He got a reply this time, the toddler saying that her name was Hana, so he supposed that the calming voice his mother used to use on him had worked. "Well, Hana-chan, we'll have to take you to the Hokage, for him to decide what to do with you." He spoke to her as though she were an adult, refusing to lower himself to baby-talk.

He went to his team leader, Dog, and told him what he had found. "She smells like the other merchants, so I think it's safe to guess that she's one of them. She's entirely too young to be a sleeper agent or anything, so it should be safe to take her back to Konoha. Cat, I need you here. Shirou-kun! Take this girl back to Konoha, with this note." He scribbled a missive on a small piece of paper, handing it to a Chuunin who was standing nearby, looking as though he was about to be sick. Shirou took the girl gratefully, and leapt off into the trees in the direction of Konoha.

* * *

"Well, what to do with her..." The Sandaime Hokage mused aloud, Shirou and two of his personal guards with him. "We can't abandon her, and several of Konoha's best and most loyal shinobi were orphans raised by us." He paced, thinking. "It's decided. She will be raised as a Konoha orphan, and placed into shinobi training when she's old enough. She gets a home and food, and the village gains another loyal shinobi." He smiled, albeit sadly.

* * *

Hannah had no idea that her fate was being decided at that moment, instead staring at the mirror the receptionist had given her to play with in wonderment. She looked three, instead of her usual eighteen! What the hell, Voice? At least she still looked like herself, although a much smaller version. Her long brown hair was intact, and her eyes were still the usual blue.

She looked down at her teeny, pudgy hands, waving them around near her face. Well, this explained why everyone else looked so colossal! She was having a bit of a freak-out when the Hokage reentered. She knew it was him, because she remembered the silly hat.

"Hana-chan," He started, before going into a long and convoluted talk which Hannah could only follow about half of, and that half was due to the fact that he was toning down his vocabulary to a toddler's level. She had no idea what was going on, so she nodded every time he asked a question.

* * *

The Hokage left his office, informing Hana of her situation using small words, before asking if she'd like to stay in Konoha, and become a shinobi. After receiving the girl's agreement, he held out a hand for her to take, and brought her down to the local orphanage, a place he often visited to see the orphans of the Kyuubi attack, although none were as dear to him as Naruto, Minato's son.

"Hokage-sama, what a pleasure!" The lady in charge of the orphanage fawned, although the Sandaime knew she dreaded these visits, afraid that he'd find she was neglecting Naruto. The boy seemed healthy and happy enough, so the Sandaime let it pass, knowing that, for his own safety, Naruto had to stay in anonymity It was for the best, he reminded himself with a sigh.

"Aya-san, this is Hana-chan. She'll be staying with you from now on." He drew the girl out from behind him, where she had been looking around the village in awe.

"Oh, Hokage-sama, it's always a pleasure to have new children!" Aya enthused. She really did like children, but she had lost a son in the Kyuubi attack, and she could never forget that every time she looked at Naruto.

* * *

Hannah entered, unsure of what she was expected to do, but it seemed like the adults mistook this for shyness, so she was herded into a room with about five other toddlers. She supposed she was in the right category for someone her now-biological age, but it still felt degrading, like coming home for Christmas dinner and being told you had a seat at the kids table. This place had all of the false cheer of any institution.

She was introduced to the other children, who seemed to age between two and five, so old enough to be up and about, but too small to be in school. She ignored the lady for the most part, but startled when she was shown to a young boy, about her current age, sitting in a corner and playing by himself. "Eto, kore wa Naruto." Aya, as she guessed the lady's name was, said.

That was right, Naruto was an orphan, but didn't he live by himself? She mentally thwapped herself. He couldn't have lived by himself for his entire life, his parents were killed on the day he was born, so of course he had to have stayed in an orphanage or foster home at some point!

He was dressed differently then she remembered, a grey top and brown pants that neither matched nor clashed. His only distinguishing features were his shock of bright yellow hair, the whisker-like scars on his cheeks, and the beaming smile he was currently offering Hannah, although his eyes seemed... lonely, was the word that sprung to mind.

She took the toy truck he offered her, and he looked up, genuine surprise in his eyes, before he gave her a sunny smile, even brighter than the previous one. She felt a pang of sorrow frisson through her. She knew that Naruto's upbringing had been pretty much friendless, but there was a world of difference between it happening in a manga character's backstory, and a real boy.

She resolved to become a friend to Naruto, not just because of her mission, which she figured must be somehow related to the main character, but because nobody deserved to be alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is dedicated to nanacontrol, who made this author's day and left a lovely review, as well as to The Philosopher's Queen, my lovely waifu.**

**In this chapter: Hannah makes a decision, and Naruto makes a friend.**

* * *

Hannah fiddled with the toy truck she held in her hands, unsure of what to do. She had to have been this age the last time she had played with toys like this! Naruto was giving her a strange look, though, so she quickly pretended to roll it along the floor, and he looked away, satisfied.

Alright, Hannah, she thought. Time to plan. Team Seven were the focal point of the Naruto-verse, the main characters. She already had a bit of a friendship built up with Naruto, the boy's first if she read him right, but what else could she do? Stopping the Uchiha Massacre seemed like it would be impossible without direct help from the Hokage, and she was under specific orders from The Voice not to tell anyone of her mission here, so that option was

out.  
If she was friends with Naruto, the main character, she could probably encourage him to become stronger. She knew that she would make a terrible ninja, being slightly clumsy and more academic than physical, but it should be easy enough for her to help Naruto become a better shinobi, even if she just read on the theory. She remembered the chakra-training exercises from Nami no Kuni well enough that she could probably get Naruto to practice his chakra control as a child, but then, would that mean he wouldn't graduate along with Sasuke and Sakura? He had failed the Genin exam before the time shown in the manga, she remembered that much, so helping him become stronger might mess up the timeline and ensure Naruto was put in a different team...

Hannah twiddled with a piece of her hair, thoughtful. Maybe if she only helped Naruto after the Genin exams? That would mean that he became stronger, but would still ensure that he was placed on Team Seven! Oh, she was good!

Plan decided, she settled down to play along with Naruto, deciding for the sake of her dignity to act as though she were an adult indulging a child. She backed the toy truck into his small red car, enjoying the squeal of protest he made.

A thought occurred to her. Could she mimic noises, now, like the voice had said? She thought of the sound of a car crash, the shattering glass, the twisting metal, and tried to imitate it, watching her volume level so as not to alert anyone to her ability or have them witness her failure.

She was surprised by how well it went - it sounded like a very small collision had happened in the room. Naruto laughed with delight, and demanded "Mou ikkai!". She knew that one, from a Naruto closing song if she remembered correctly, so she repeated the sound, hoping to draw another giggle from the boy.

She spent the next few hours watching as Naruto tried to mimic the noise, but he seemed to have much less luck. Some perks, Hannah thought! She twittered of a trill of birdsong, and watched fondly as Naruto clapped. He really was a good kid, and he did try his hardest. A pang of resentment for the other villagers made itself known, and she scowled a little. Why would they see a monster in such a sweet kid?

He looked at her, giving off the impression of concern, and Hannah scolded herself internally for going off on a tangent. She didn't want Naruto to think that she was a space case!

* * *

Naruto looked over at the girl sitting next to him with delight. Hana-chan was nice, playing with him and being his friend. He'd never had a friend before, and he smiled at the thought that he had one now.

* * *

Hannah heard the matron call something, then Naruto was up, taking her hand and tugging her to her feet, pulling her after him into what looked like a dining area. They took the first pair of seats they could find, and Hannah followed Naruto's lead in sitting down and waiting.

When the food was brought out, Hannah's stomach protested. She hadn't eaten since throwing up in the bushes earlier, but she honestly didn't know if she could eat, after the gory scenes she had witnessed today.  
Naruto ended up finishing both of their dinners, as Hannah covertly slipped food from her plate onto his when the Aya wasn't looking. He was happy about the extra food, eating it all with gusto that made Hannah wonder if they fed the boy at all. They must do, his portion was the same size as hers, but still! She remembered Naruto from the anime and manga having a huge appetite, and settled down. Maybe this was normal for the boy?

They returned to the room Hannah mentally referred to as the playroom, and Naruto went into the corner, back to playing with his toys. He beckoned Hannah over with a chubby hand, and she went willingly, wanting to dispel the uncertainty in his gaze. Did he really think she'd abandon him?

* * *

Aya looked on as the two children played with a sense of mixed relief and dread. Hokage-sama would have to get off her back about mistreating Naruto, now that the boy had a friend, but she was also dooming the girl named Hana to a friendship with a demon, even if he was in human form. She shrugged. What else could she do? If he appeared to be hurting her or somehow taking advantage, she'd remove Hana, but until he did something wrong, she had no choice but to leave the girl with him.


	4. Chapter 4

Hannah spent the next few days solidifying her friendship with the orphaned boy. Hanging with him seemed to make all of the other children dislike her, but Hannah didn't really care what a bunch of toddlers thought of her. Hell, she'd babysat older kids!

Naruto blossomed under the attention, soaking up every ounce of affection like a flower would water. He calmed down significantly, no longer needing to attention-seek, as Hannah provided all of the care he needed to thrive. She spent most of her time with the boy, seeing caring for him as something practical she could do, something to keep her from going insane, trapped as she was in the body of a child.

Hannah also hit the small bookshelf, thanking whatever deities she could think of that she had learnt hiragana, and could read the children's books. Naruto was very helpful at acting out words she didn't understand, but as the books were written for small infants, Hannah found that the language was very simple, with almost no unnecessary flourishes.

By the end of the week, the status quo was well set - Hannah and Naruto stayed together, and the other children avoided them. They could usually be found in the corner, Hannah reading away, trying to improve her Japanese, and Naruto playing happily, occasionally seeking reassurance from her, which she never denied him.

* * *

Hana and Naruto were playing outside, an elementary version of Tip The Can that Hana didn't quite seem to understand. In fact, Aya got the impression that she was just playing along for Naruto's sake, which was odd behavior for a three year old. However, she didn't think much of it. Hana was probably just a very tolerant youngster - in all of the time she had been here, Aya had never heard her cry, and had never been approached for affection, as some of the younger children tended to do.

Naruto had stopped, of course. He knew that none would be forthcoming.

The boy was really coming into his own, becoming more confident now that he had Hana as a safe base to return to. Aya was a little worried about this, but then she reassured herself that having a friend in the village meant that Naruto was less likely to destroy it, not to mention all of the mental issues that deprivation of affection and care could cause. A sane Jinchuuriki was a hell of a lot safer than an insane one with a grudge.

* * *

Hannah and Naruto became fast friends, hardly ever seen outside of each other's company. He gave her a sense of purpose, and became something she could rely on in the crazy world she found herself in. In Hannah, Naruto found his first friend, someone who actually cared about him, and that meant the world to the no-longer-lonely child.

Hannah's Japanese came on in leaps and bounds, strengthened by her ability to mimic noises, including intonation and stress patterns. Her change in age appeared to have affected the way she learnt languages, as well, because she was picking it up much faster then she had her language lessons in school, but this could also be attributed to the fact that she was currently immersed in Japanese, instead of only having three or four hours a week of dull tuition.

By the end of the month, she understood about half of what the people around her were saying, and she could communicate at a pretty average level for a toddler. Her mind still worked in English, but thankfully, the one time she tripped and cussed, they mistook it for nonsense.

She was pretty proud of herself, she wasn't going to lie. So far, her mission to save the dream was proceeding swimmingly, she could now communicate to some degree, and most importantly, she could see that Naruto adored her, a sentiment she returned whole-heartedly. He was just so cute, with his chubby cheeks and bright smile, that were Hannah her normal size, she would probably have picked him up and hugged him. Heck, she wanted to do that even though she was chibified!

She contented herself with a quick cuddle, which Naruto returned immediately. For somebody who had been deprived of physical affection his entire life, he was taking to it like a duck to water. He still only looked for it from her, a fact which pleased her and made her feel sad simultaneously.

She began to feel angry toward the villagers, not actively, but passively, the kind of smoldering dislike that would not be quenched without a reason. Oh, there were some people who were nice to Naruto, the Sandaime Hokage amongst them, but the number was ludicrously small compared to the amount of people in the village.

Even Aya, who Hannah now felt a mild sort of disdain towards, did nothing for Naruto, completely ignoring him to the point where he would no longer seek affection from her. Hannah felt glad that there was somebody who could give him the care he obviously needed - hopefully, this would mean he was less self-sacrificing and reckless as an adult, because Hannah's chest hurt when she thought of this child placing himself in danger to win the approval of people who didn't give a damn about him.

But now, Naruto had somebody who would give him the attention he needed without him having to resort to pranks or trouble-making, and Hannah felt the weight of that responsibility on her shoulders keenly. Thanks to her meddling, she was now effectively Naruto's most important person, and she had a ridiculous amount of influence over him. Could she shape the boy to be the best he could be without taking advantage of him, she wondered. Even at such a young age, he was almost desperate for her approval and affection, and he'd do anything she asked with a smile on his face. She tried her hardest not to take advantage, but she knew that there was still an enourmous risk that he'd change his dream of becoming a shinobi because she said something small, some throwaway comment on how being a shinobi was risky.

Naruto noticed her fretting, of course, and clumsily tried to reassure her, drawing a smile from her. She decided, with fresh resolve, that she would do her best to help Naruto develop emotionally, and she'd learn as much shinobi theory as she could, so that she could help Naruto, and eventually Sasuke and Sakura, as much as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you recognize. Hannah, however, I do own!**

**Nanacontrol asked for longer chapters, so I have tried to deliver, but things are happening pretty quickly here, so I wanted to keep updating daily. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Months passed, and Hannah and Naruto grew thick as thieves. Naruto worshiped the ground she walked on, and she doted on him in return. When he had to go to his first day of school, as he was technically a year older than her, he sobbed and howled. He misbehaved the whole way through, if Aya was to be believed, and he ran over and hurled himself into her arms upon his return, nearly knocking the smaller girl over.

"Hana-chan, missed you!" He declared, snuggling his face into her neck as she tried to soothe him, patting his back and ruffling his blond hair gently. "Missed you too," She murmured gently, smoothing his hair back into place. "How was it?"

"It was real bad, Hana-chan! They made us do reading, an' it was boooring!" Naruto whinged, prompting a giggle from Hana.

"But, Naruto, you know that reading will be useful when you're older. All shinobi must be able to read and write, and it can be fun, too!" She tried to convince him of the validity of one of her favorite pastimes. He looked at her, unsure. "Just give it a go!" She prompted.

Hannah ended up choosing a book for Naruto to read, a simple one that focused on a newly-passed Genin and his fantastic adventures. He gave up after three pages, complaining that it was too hard, so Hannah read the rest to him, as he lay down on her lap.

* * *

The Sandaime Hokage looked down at the peaceful scene with a light heart. It was good that Naruto had finally found someone who was willing to ignore the way the villagers treated him, and he was suddenly very glad that he had decided to take Hana in. As well as helping Naruto grow into a stable adult, a friend would also make him more loyal to the village - give him someone to protect, in essence.

* * *

Naruto's reading slowly improved, until soon, he could read all of the hiragana, albeit slowly, stumbling over words sometimes. Hannah was so proud she thought she was going to burst when Naruto finished his first book, another child's book with thick cardboard pages about the day to day activities of shinobi life.

"Well done, Naruto!" She praised, beaming up at the older boy. "I said that you could do it!" Hannah clapped with joy, and swept Naruto into a long hug. He had been finding reading particularly difficult, struggling with motivation - she suspected that his teacher wasn't helping him very much, either. But he was persistent, and Hannah was determined, so between the two of them, they had managed to bring him up to the right standard for his age.

* * *

"Hana, you listenin'?" Naruto's voice broke her out of the dreamy haze she was in. It had been six months today since her arrival in this world, six months without her mother or her sister. Knowing that they were alright was a huge relief, but she did miss them terribly.

"Sorry, Naruto, just thinking. What were you saying?" She listened intently, knowing how Naruto loved to chatter.

"I was saying that one boy in our class already knows a justu! His name's Sasuke, and he's from the Uchiha clan, which is s'pposed to be real 'mportant, and he can make fireballs!"

Sasuke Uchiha already knew a fire justu? Hannah paled. That meant that the Uchiha clan massacre was coming up shortly. She knew that there was nothing she could do to stop it, but still, the thought of all of those people dying made her stomach knot.

"That's pretty cool, Naruto - maybe you should try and be friends with him!" Hannah forced herself to say cheerfully, although she felt slightly nauseous.

"I dunno, Hana-chan - he's got lots of friends already..." Naruto looked down at the ground, and scuffed his shoe.

"Naruto, I've got a feeling that he's going to need a friend. Please, for my sake?" She gave her best puppy-dog eyes, and Naruto caved, mumbling that he'd talk to the boy tomorrow.

* * *

Naruto returned the next day with a grin on his face - it turned out that Sasuke wanted to become a ninja, too, which was no surprise to Hannah, but meant a lot to her blond friend.

"-and he showed me again, cool right?" He finished his retelling of the day's events. It seemed like it had gone well, this friendly, unscarred Sasuke readily accepting Naruto, which made Hannah glad -she didn't want to think about Naruto being rejected again, not now that he was making so much progress!

"Thank you, Naruto - I know how difficult that must have been for you, and I appreciate it!" She beamed up at him, happy that perhaps, he was making another friend.

"S'okay, Hana. You're still my best friend, yanno?" He sat down beside her, and asked what book she was reading at the moment. Hannah reeled, shocked by this bombshell. Naruto considered her to be his best friend? Well, she supposed that she should have seen this one coming, considering she was kind of his only friend, but...

"Thanks - it means a lot to hear you say that." She grinned back at him. "You know you're mine, too, right?"

Naruto blushed and smiled shyly. "Thanks, Hana-chan."

* * *

Hannah spent the next few days on high alert, but settled when Naruto told her that Sasuke could only produce sparks - it seemed he was a bit off creating the massive fireballs she had read in the manga. There was still time. Naruto and Sasuke developed a less-than-friends-but-more-than-acquaintances relationship, where they'd hang out sometimes, and talk about becoming shinobi, but Naruto still ate lunch on his own, while Sasuke ate with his friends.

Hannah worried about this, and one day, she asked Naruto if it made him feel lonely.

"Nope, because I know I have Hana-chan waiting at home!" He smiled, a child's innocent grin, and she returned it with tears in her eyes.

* * *

Hannah was now four, having celebrated her birthday a few months after arriving. It was April, and time for the new school year to start. This year, it was Hannah's turn to be the new kid, but she wasn't worried. Well, not that worried, anyhow. They were all just a bunch of immature brats, she reminded herself, and she probably wouldn't want to make friends with any of them.

This attitude served her well, because after a week, Hannah was transferred up a year, because she already knew everything they taught in the first year. Hell, she had studied Maths at A-level, she probably knew more than the teacher!

Naruto was overjoyed on the first day Hannah was in his class, and he eagerly introduced her to Sasuke, who was actually a very nice kid, well-mannered and enthusiastic. He was an enthusiastic member of the after-school ninja training club, which was run by their Chuunin teachers. About three-quarters of the class stayed behind, as they had hopes of becoming shinobi - only those who's future definitely lay elsewhere didn't attend.

Hannah had no intentions of becoming a shinobi, but she figured that going would encourage Naruto, and would also mean that she could help him if he got stuck later on. Sasuke smiled at her when she voiced her intention to join the training club. "It'll be really cool! We get to play ninja, and throw shuriken!"

Hannah reluctantly admitted to herself that she had another, more selfish reason for going - she was plain curious. She really wanted to know how this whole 'chakra' thing worked. Also, how cool would being able to throw kunai knives be?

* * *

She came home from her first day of training exhausted, while Naruto, endless supply of energy that he was, bounced all the way home, even after offering to carry her bag.

"That was hard - is it like that every day?" Hannah asked, stretching abused muscles with a wince. She had been told to run laps, do press-ups and sit-ups, and then they ran through a series of stretching excercises, all of which felt like they had been designed to torment her. She was a reader, not a go-out-and-play-in-the-fresh-air person!

"Nope, Sensei isn't this bad most days." Naruto cautiously reassured. Hana-chan looked pale, and he wondered if she was alright.

"I'm fine, I just think I worked too hard - it'll pass." She tried to calm the worried boy. "So, when we return home, shall we do our homework together? I'll help you with your reading!" She offered, trying to change the subject away from her low levels of physical stamina.

"Yes, please!" He responded, delighted at the offer of help. Hana-chan would always help, if asked, but she never let him get away with not doing the work. "Come on, Hana-chan, just a little more!"

Hannah panted for breath, muscles unused to this much exercise "I'll be okay, could we just walk a little slower?" She grabbed her drink bottle out of her bag, and took a grateful swig.

They walked the rest of the way home at a sedate pace. Hannah could tell it was difficult for Naruto, who was practically bouncing in place, but he didn't complain or run off once, which she really appreciated. She made sure to tell him so once they arrived, to which he grinned.

* * *

She went to the extra training session the day after, too, even though her legs felt like jelly. She continued going, and the workload became less strenuous, easier for her to cope with, Alongside her increase in fitness came a boost in confidence - she could now run away if she needed to, which made her feel a whole lot safer.

Hannah celebrated her fifth birthday, having a small party with Naruto at home. He got her a second-hand book, one which had clearly been read and reread until the spine was close to breaking. Hannah never asked him where he got the money for it from.

She and Sasuke developed a friendship, as did Sasuke and Naruto, which relieved Hannah. Their little pair had become a trio, and it felt like they had found a missing part. Sasuke was calm to Naruto's excitability, and confident to Hannah's worry-prone tendencies. Hannah helped them with their schoolwork, and Sasuke told them everything about being a ninja that he knew, coming from a shinobi family. Naruto provided the cheer that the two solemn children needed, and everything was going well.

* * *

Then the Uchiha Massacre happened.

* * *

The first time Hannah heard about it was when Sasuke wasn't at school one morning, and she asked the teacher.

"Sasuke-kun has had a family emergency, so won't be in for a while, Hana-chan. Now, back to your seat." The teacher rebuked gently.

Hannah went white. Did this mean... had the massacre already happened?

She returned to her seat, stunned. She knew that there was nothing she could do to stop it, of course, but still, for so many people to have died... Naruto poked her a few minutes later, and asked her what was up - he was usually the one not paying attention to the classes, not her! That drew a tremulous smile from her, and she replied, "I'm just worried about Sasuke, that's all. What do you say we go and see him after school, see if he's okay?"

Naruto agreed to this eagerly, worried about their friend also, but not to the same extent as Hana-chan seemed to be.

* * *

As they approached the Uchiha compound, they were stopped by two ANBU wearing bone-white masks. "We're friends of Sasuke Uchiha - he wasn't in today, and we were worried about him, so we came to see if he was alright." Hannah explained, while Naruto nodded his agreement.

"You haven't heard?" The ANBU member sounded shocked. "It looks like Itachi Uchiha killed most of his family, then went rogue. Sasuke Uchiha, his little brother, was the only survivor found, and he's in the hospital."

Naruto went pale, his usual golden tan vanishing. "Sasuke's in hospital?" He murmured.

"Is he okay?" She asked, concerned for the young boy who had just lost almost everything he knew.

"He's stable, if that's what you mean. I don't think he'll be okay for a while, though..."

Hannah grabbed Naruto's hand for support, twining their fingers together. "Come on, let's go to the hospital and see what we can find out!" She tugged a frozen Naruto behind her.

* * *

They reached the hospital pretty quickly, Hannah panting for breath. Naruto was fine, the show-off. "Excuse me, do you know where Sasuke Uchiha is? We're friends from school, and they said he was here..." She approached the receptionist politely, Naruto trailing behind her.

"Uchiha-kun? He's fine, but he's not allowed visitors -" A scream interrupted her, and Hannah knew that voice. Sasuke was making an inhuman sound, like a wounded animal, and she yelled a quick "Thank you!" to the nurse, and promptly ignored her and ran to the origin of the scream.

Sasuke was being held down by two orderlies, and he bucked and thrashed in their grip. "Let me go, I have to find him-!" He looked awful, like he hadn't slept in a week, his skin pallid and his eyes bloodshot.

"Sasuke!" Hannah darted in, followed closely by Naruto, and they pushed the orderlies out of the way. "Sasuke, what can you do now? He's stronger than you, and older then you! You need to train if you're going to avenge your family, not run off half-assed and join them!" Hannah cried.

Sasuke looked over. "Ha...Hana? Naruto? What are you doing here..?" He looked dazed, as though a strong gust of wind would knock him over. Hannah realized that she was right to have worried - he clearly wasn't coping.

"Hey, what are you kids doing in here?" One of the orderlies accused, but they ignored him.

"Hana-chan's right, Sasuke! If you go, you'll die! You're not even a genin yet!" Naruto backed her up.

"Sasuke," Hannah laced their fingers together. "We were worried about you, so we came to see you, and the ANBU told us you were in hospital. Wait. We'll all become shinobi, and then, when we're strong enough, we'll help you find your brother." She promised impulsively. She knew that she had to say something, anything, or they'd lose him.

Sasuke calmed. "Alright, I'll wait. But I will avenge my clan!"

"We know you will, and we'll be right there with you, every step of the way. You have my word, as future Hokage!" Naruto vowed. Hannah nodded in agreement.

The two orderlies backed off, since Sasuke was no longer struggling. "What do we do with the kids?" One asked.

"His family's just been killed - he's better off in the company of friends." The other murmured, and they left the three alone.

* * *

"So, Sasuke, why are you in hospital?" Hannah asked, seeing the state he was in and the bandages around his head.

"Itachi used some kind of genjutsu on me, and tortured me for what felt like an eternity..." Sasuke murmured shakily. Hannah tightened her grip, and Naruto took his spare hand, wanting to offer as much comfort as they could.

"I chased him, but he escaped. Then I collapsed, and some idiot decided to bring me here."

"As they should have, Sasuke! Genjutsu can cause serious mental trauma, you know, as well as what happened that night." Hannah reprimanded. "I know you're probably feeling useless, but Naruto and I can distract you, and you need to recover!"

Naruto nodded in agreement, having understood about half of the previous sentences, but trusting that Hana-chan knew what she was talking about.

Sasuke lay back on the pillows that were set up to support his chest. "Alright. I'll stay in Konoha."

Hannah smiled at him tearfully. "Thank you, Sasuke."


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm off on a school trip until Friday night, so I won't be able to update until Saturday. Sorry! **

**In this chapter, Sasuke heals, and Hannah makes an important decision.**

* * *

Sasuke remained in the hospital for three months, and Naruto and Hannah visited him every day after school. There were no healers as skilled as Tsunade here, so the entire process was slow and drawn-out. Still, with time he got better, even if his normal happy smile had turned into a smirk, and he no longer laughed as often.

Hannah and Naruto were just glad to have him back.

After the three months were up, Sasuke was allowed to leave the hospital, and return home. Well, home being a small apartment that the Hokage had found him, since he refused to go into care, and threatened to run away if they tried. He was practically unable to leave the bed, since his three months of forced rest, and Hannah shooed his social worker away. She and Naruto could take care of him until he got his strength back.

They did his shopping together, and Hannah cooked, being able to make a decent meal. She would never be a gourmet chef, since she tended to guesstimate ingredient amounts, but it was still tasty and nutritious - exactly what the recovering boy needed.

Nobody else from school went to see Sasuke, since no-one knew where he lived, with the exception of Hannah and Naruto, both of whom decided to say nothing. They had offered to bring messages back, if he wanted, but the idea held no merit with him.

It took Sasuke five months to get his fitness back up to scratch, and the timing was quite fortunate, as he was able to start school again in the spring. The Shinobi Academy, where children went to become Genin, accepted based on age, not school year, so he wouldn't be penalized for missing a year of normal school. He had to repeat a year, since he had been absent for most of it, which put him in the same year group as Hannah and Naruto, something which pleased hannah immensely - now she could keep an eye on both of them, make sure Naruto wasn't getting picked on, and ensure that Sasuke didn't withdraw too far within himself.

"Sasuke!" Hannah called, holding hands with Naruto. "Over here!" He made his way over, ignoring the students who were gawking at him, and touched his hands to Hannah and Naruto's in greeting.

"Hey. Everything okay?" He murmured. He had become a lot quieter since the massacre, which Hannah understood, but she still mourned the loss of the cheerful boy she had known.

"Everything's good, except that we have to go back to school!" Naruto whined, and Hannah laughed while Sasuke chuckled.

"You know that you need to pass a written test to enter the Shinobi Academy, right, Naruto? Look at this as basic ninja training. Besides, we'll also have the after-school training. Are you joining up again, Sasuke?"

He nodded in reply.

"Great! It'll be the old gang back together again!" Naruto smiled, placing his hands behing his head and stretching.

* * *

They found seats together, this year, although for some reason, Sasuke seemed to be pretty popular with the ladies already - Hannah supposed that the whole 'dark, mysterious and brooding' must have been the culprit. Still, a part of her wanted to chase the girls away, and yell that they didn't know him, so stop fawning over him, damnit!

Thankfully, there were no girls Hannah recognized from the manga as being Sasuke fangirls in the future. She silently prayed that this meant the fangirling wouldn't last, and not that they were just so unimportant they were never shown.

* * *

Time passed, as time tends to do. Sasuke remained more reserved than he was before the massacre, but around Hannah and Naruto, he let his guard down a little. They passed the year together, Hannah achieving top marks thanks to her future knowledge, Sasuke not far behind her. Naruto passed around the middle of the class, being to hyperactive to sit and study for long periods of time. Still, Hannah would read aloud to the boys as they trained in preparation for the entrance exam for the Shinobi Academy. It was comprised of three parts - a physical test, a written test and a lesson on chakra use, to test your natural talent, followed by an exam where they asked you to show them a technique. The third part made it much easier for children from shinobi families to enter the Academy, but Hannah personally thought it was fair enough. After all, the more training they had before they were placed in life-threatening positions, the better, and those who were really enthusiastic could always approach a graduate or a teacher for pointers, as Hannah herself had done.

She did want to become a ninja, she had decided. Sakura was going to be the third member of Team 7, and she'd probably do a better job then Hannah would, but that didn't mean that she couldn't join another team, and protect the town she now called home. She just didn't know if she could bear someone else becoming Naruto's most important person, the way Sakura had in the manga. Hannah knew that it was selfish of her, but she wanted to be the one Naruto looked at with adoration in his eyes, not some pink-haired girl who wasn't even nice to him.

Well, she didn't mind sharing with Sasuke, the three of them had a great dynamic. But she didn't want some newcomer spoiling what she had worked so hard to build, for Sasuke to retreat into his shell again, and Naruto to base his happiness on someone who cared nothing for him.

Hannah buried her feelings, not yet ready to face them, and continued reading aloud as Sasuke and Naruto sparred. "The basis for chakra control is..."

* * *

Hannah made an appointment to speak to one of the Academy instructors, as did everyone else in their year, in preparation for their potential entry the following academic year. Hannah decided to be completely honest with the man, a friendly-looking brunet, with clear blue eyes that Hannah secretly envied.

"So, let me see if I've got this straight, Hana-chan. You'd like to be a ninja, but you're worried about letting your team-mates down, to the extent that you're not even going to try."

Hannah flushed. "Well, that's pretty much it. I know I'm not the strongest." She confessed. "I don't want to let my potential team-mates be held back because of me."

"Hana-chan, you're looking at this the wrong way. If you think you're weak, then try and become stronger! If you don't want to be a liability, train harder, until you catch up! A team is there to support you, as well as you supporting them, and it's a great way to develop lasting relationships. I married one of my Genin team-mates, and we see the other for lunch every week, when we're not on a mission." He enthused. "You can't just give up at the first little obstacle - go for it! You won't regret it, I can guarantee."

Hannah suddenly got the feeling that this was the right thing to do. If she became a ninja, she could help Sasuke when the time came to hunt Itachi down, and when Naruto had to fight to be acknowledged, she could fight with him, even if they were on different teams. In order for her to gain power to protect the people who were important to her, she needed to do this.

"It's decided, then - I'll join the Academy!"


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm baaack~! My school trip was awful, three days of being out in the cold and wet, but at least it gave me plenty of time to daydream up more of Hannah's adventures.**

**I've been trying to write longer chapters, but I'm setting it as a gradual goal, so every chapter should be longer than the previous one. Wish me luck!**

* * *

Naruto scratched his head as he pondered the question paper in front of him. These questions were all really difficult, but Hana-chan and Sasuke had helped him study, and he knew that they had gone over everything in here at least once.

How well you did on the test determined which set you were in, with only members of the top two sets being able to graduate. If you were still in the Academy by the age of fifteen, you graduated into the civillian corps, called on if Konoha was attacked, but you could never be a shinobi.

Naruto forced his attention back to the test paper. The Shodaime Hokage's element was wood, wasn't it? He remembered Hana-chan telling him a story about the things the Shodaime could do, and he nodded to himself. Definitely wood.

He felt a sudden surge of gratefulness that his friends had helped him study for the entrance exam - it would have been a lot more difficult to remember all of this stuff, had Hana-chan not made history into stories, embellishing them with details and turning dry facts into exciting adventures. Sasuke was really good at techniques, drilling Naruto on theory until he could recite it in his sleep, and they all ran through as many practice tests as they could find in preparation.

He was glad they had prepared so thoroughly - the test was extremely difficult, and of the hundred or so people taking the test, only about a third would pass into the Academy, with only about a third of those becoming Genin - the shinobi world was survival of the fittest, and it started early.

Sasuke placed down his pencil with a silent sigh of relief - he was finished the exam, and he was certain that he'd passed. Hana and Naruto had been his study companions, and helping them with the theory had really drilled it into his head. Hana was very good at explaining history, maths and the sciences, so Sasuke was feeling pretty confident that he'd gotten a good score - certainly good enough for middle set, maybe for upper. He supposed that lower set wouldn't be too bad, but it did mean that he'd have to scrape his way up a set before he could graduate.

* * *

Hannah waited up for the two boys as they exited the Academy.

"How do you think you did?" Was the first question to leave her lips as they reunited, tangling their fingers together, seeking comfort. "I think I did alright, but if either of you didn't pass..." She trailed off, feeling terrible. If anyone didn't pass, it would be her fault, as they passed in the original manga, without her intervention.

"Don't worry about it, Hana-chan - I'm sure that I passed!" Naruto squeezed her hand gently. "And Sasuke here's a genius, so he'll have aced the test no problem!"

"Hn." Sasuke smirked. "I'm sure I passed as well."

Hannah let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. So, ramen to celebrate?"

Naruto fist-pumped the air, and Sasuke nodded.

* * *

They were sat at Ichiraku's, Naruto's favourite ramen shop. They had all ordered, Naruto a pork ramen and Hannah and Saskue had both chosen miso, and they were awaiting their orders.

They chatted for a bit about which questions they had found the hardest, double-checking their answers to help remove the feeling of uncertainty which still plagued them.

"Wouldn't it be cool if we were placed in the same team?" Naruto commented idly, unaware of the emotion this caused in Hannah, a sort of desperate longing.

"You do know that it probably won't happen, Naruto. The Hokage decides on all of the teams personally, and if there's a group he thinks would be a better fit, you'll be placed there instead." She stomped down her feelings, knowing that Sakura would do a better job then she could. "But, don't worry - even once you're Hokage, and Sasuke head of ANBU, we'll all still be friends!"

"And you, Hana?" Sasuke toyed with a pair of chopsticks. "What do you intend to do once you've graduated?"

Hannah flushed. "You know, I haven't really thought about it. I don't think I'll ever be good enough to make it past Chuunin, though - you two are the real talent in this group. Maybe I'll teach at the Academy after graduation, I like to think that I'm a pretty good teacher." She mimicked Sasuke, fiddling with her chopsticks.

"You're plenty good enough, Hana-chan!" Naruto protested, bless his heart for trying.

"It's okay, Naruto - I don't know if I'm cut out to be a ninja. My dream is to see the two of you succeed, so as long as you're both happy, I'm happy, you know?" A small part of her said that she'd be happiest on a team with them, and she squished it ruthlessly. She wouldn't endanger them for her own selfish reasons, no matter how appealing the thought of being on a team together was.

"In which case, I'll have to make Hokage, to fulfil Hana-chan's dream!" Naruto still looked unsatisfied, though.

"My dream is to kill Itachi, not to become head of ANBU." Sasuke looked thoughtful. "It is an intriuging idea, though - everyone knows that the head of ANBU is the strongest ninja in the village." He teased, watching Naruto turn red.

"Hey, the Hokage is the strongest ninja! What are you trying to say, huh?" Naruto yelled, and Hannah giggled.

"Oh, you two crack me up..." Her sombre mood was gone, and Sasuke smirked in triumph.

* * *

Their results came about a week later, a week of anxious worrying and constantly going over their answers They gathered together in the small living room of Sasuke's apartment with their envelopes, waiting until they were together to open them.

Sasuke opened his first. "Pass. Top set." He said smugly, a smirk on his face.

"Well done!" Naruto and Hannah chorused, then laughed.

Naruto was the next up. "Pass - middle set." He sighed. "Not quite as good as Sasuke, I guess, but still a good pass!" Hannah launched herself at him, sweeping him into a hug.

"You passed - I'm so proud of you!" She snuggled him close, and he flushed with pleasure.

"Thank you, Hana-chan..." He teared up a little.

"She's right - to pass at all is good, not to mention getting into middle set." Sasuke said, a hint of relief coloring his tone. "Hana, you're up next."

Hannah opened her envelope with trembling fingers, almost too afraid to read what it said. She knew that she had studied for this test, but...

"Pass, top set!" She declared, voice trembling. She pulled them forward for a group hug, Naruto gladly flinging his arms around the two of them, and Sasuke accepting it with a hint of a grin on his face.

"We're going to the Academy together!"

* * *

Hannah sat in the induction day for the Shinobi Academy, alongside Naruto and Sasuke, nerves knotting her stomach. Was this really the right decision? Should she really try to become a ninja, a dangerous job if ever there was one?

Then she remembered. Her mission was to save the dream, and she couldn't do that if she was powerless. She had a duty, to Naruto, Sasuke, and everyone else here, including their lovely teacher and the Chuunin with the clear blue eyes. She was supposed to be the only one who could save this world, and save it she bloody well would!

Sasuke looked over at Hana, mildly concerned. She looked pale, and her eyes were a million miles away. That kind of thing happened to Hana a lot, and Sasuke never asked - heaven knew that it happened to him often enough, and Hana never brought it up, only gently extracted him from his waking nightmares.

He decided he owed her the same.

"Hana, are you paying attention?" He nudged her, gently but firmly. "They're about to hand out the classroom assignments."

Hannah jolted as Sasuke touched her, but she soon regained her equilibrium. "Sorry, just daydreaming!" She excused herself quickly, and Sasuke gave her a look that said, quite eloquently, 'I don't believe you, but I'll let it slide'. They both returned their attention to the front, where the head instructor was finishing his welcome speech, a long, boring monologue about how they were about to serve their village.

They handed out the timetables, girls having extra classes such as flower arranging and how to dance, where the boys had much more combat-orientated subjects, such as an entire block dedicated to endurance training, and more martial arts classes than their female counterparts.

Hannah looked down at hers in slight dismay. Singing, she could do, thanks to her chosen abillity, but dancing? Flower arranging? It'd be a cold day in hell before she mastered any of these!

No, she reprimanded herself, you have to think positive. Don't focus on what you can't do, focus on the good things!

Naruto grabbed Hana-chan and Sasuke's timetables, and compared them to his own. "We've got the same Chakra Control classes, as well as Ninjutsu together! And Sasuke and I are in the same Physical Fitness block!"

Sasuke looked over, and confirmed it with a grunt. "We're in the same History and Politics class too. We can all sit together."

Hannah smiled as they drew her out of her melancholy mood. "We're in the same registration group too. Let's see... We're with Iruka-sensei." She remembered him from the manga, as someone who was nice to Naruto, despite having lost his parents in the Kyuubi attack. He became one of Naruto's most important people, and a little part of her seethed. They were going to take her boys away even before they made genin!

She scolded herself silently. It would be good for Naruto to have other friends, outside of their small friendship circle, she knew that. She wouldn't let her jealousy interfere with Naruto's happiness!

"Hana-chan, you okay?" Naruto poked her shoulder, seeing that Hana-chan was a million miles away. "You look spaced out."

"Sorry, I keep going off on mental tangents today!" Hana-chan apologized to him, a flush bringing some colour back to her face.

"S'okay." Naruto murmured comfortingly. "Just don't go too far away!"

"I agree with Naruto, for once - one of these days, you'll go so far inside your own mind that you won't be able to find your way back out again!" Sasuke teased, causing Hana-chan's blush to intensify.

"Hey, don't pick on Hana-chan!" Naruto scolded him, putting on the imitation of Hana's tone that he used when he wanted to sound more mature. "Besides, even if she does get lost, we can always find her!"

Hana beamed at him for that, a real smile. "Thank you, both of you - I'll try to space out less often, if it worries you. But, don't worry - I'll always find my way back!" She vowed, and Naruto believed her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright, everyone, I tried making this chapter a bit longer, so tell me if it reads better, please! Thank**

* * *

It was everyone's first day at the Shinobi Academy, and Hannah was nervous. Naruto was in a lower set than her and Sasuke, so he'd be by himself, with nobody he knew in his class.

She knew Naruto was strong, and that they could still eat lunch together, as well as sharing some of their classes, but that didn't help to ease her anxiety. What if his classmates were horrible to him, following their parents' leads? He was sensitive underneath his bravado, and she worried that his feelings might be hurt.

Her first lesson on her first day was flower arranging, which was apparently a skill which all well-bred ladies should know, and would help her to fit in if ever she had to infiltrate the upper classes. When the reason for learning such a skill was explained to her, Hannah understood the reasoning much better, and actually applied herself, since it may come in useful in the future.

Her second class was taijutsu, and Hannah was grateful for the training she had endured at school – several of her classmates did not appear to have been so lucky, and were really struggling to keep up. They ran through the basic forms, and were told to practice every day when they returned home. Hannah knew that Sasuke had trained in martial arts before his family was killed, and he had kept up his training, so he should be able to help her. She refused to fail!

* * *

Naruto began the day with a lesson on chakra control, bored silly. Maybe Hana-chan's idea of becoming a teacher had some merit – she was far less boring then this man, and much better at explaining things. He already knew most of this stuff from his revision for the entrance exam, so he daydreamed all lesson. The teacher called on him once, asking him a question and trying to catch him not paying attention, but Naruto knew the answer, so he won that round. He mentally started up a tally: Naruto 1, Boring-sensei 0.

His second lesson was physical fitness, and between his high energy levels and his training at school, he excelled in this class, easily outpacing his classmates. He missed Hana-chan and Sasuke, since nobody in his set would talk to him for whatever reason, and he internally stuck his toungue out at them – who needed them, anyway?

* * *

Sasuke was in top set with Hana, so he started the day with a different class, since their activities were segregated by gender. His first lesson was on taijutsu, most of which he already knew, but he knew that a strong foundation would serve him well.

It was a double block, and he shared the second half of the lesson with Hana, although they were in different sides of the large hall, and she looked so tired that he doubted she had spotted him. Hana wasn't the most perceptive with things like that...

* * *

The three reunited for lunch. Hannah dished out the rice balls she had made them, following a recipe she had found in the library. Konoha didn't seem to have much in the way of computers, and internet was unknown here, so her usual method of 'Google it' didn't work.

"These were my first try, so you don't have to eat them if they're horrible." Hannah reassured.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Hana." Sasuke said, taking a bite of his. Adequate was the best way to describe them – they tasted fine, a little bland, but completely edible.

"They're good!" Naruto scarfed down another two gratefully – he hadn't eaten since breakfast!

Hannah smiled at their attempts to cheer her up. "Thanks, guys. So, how were your lessons?"

Subject changed, Naruto complained about his boring classes, and how none of his classmates wanted to be friends. Hannah felt a frisson of dread run through her, which was only dispelled when Naruto reassured her that he'd much rather hang out with them, anyway, even if it was only during lunchtime. Sasuke gave a quick rundown of his classes, surprising Hannah when he said that they were in taijutsu together, and they agreed to choose a spot next lesson, so that they could train beside each other.

* * *

After lunch, every set in the year came together for a class in practical ninjutsu. Sasuke took to it like a duck to water, and Naruto struggled a little, but wasn't half bad, but Hannah had a really hard time with it.

A bored-looking instructor came over to assist her. "What seems to be the problem?" He yawned.

"I'm not sure if I can do this – I've been focusing, but I can't feel any chakra..."

"You're over-thinking it, girlie. Just do the hand signs, and focus on what you want to happen. Try and picture it happening, and it'll come."

She ran through the hand signs again, counting them off in her head. "Henge no Jutsu!" She cried, finally feeling the power coursing through her veins.

She looked down at her hands, feeling like her normal self again, after years as a child. Her hands were the right size, slender instead of pudgy, and she no longer felt disorientated.

"Not bad for a first try." The instructor praised half-heartedly, as he ambled off to help another group of struggling girls.

"Well done, Hana-chan!" Naruto called over from where he was a very bad impersonation of Sasuke, hair looking like a duck's butt, complete with black feathers.

"Yeah, nice one, Hana." Sasuke offered, glaring at Naruto.

Hannah felt her control of the energy coursing through her wobble, and with a poof of smoke, she returned to her child form. "That was pretty awesome." She said, already missing being in her adult body – she'd have to practice that one at home, by herself, and see if she could hold it for longer.

"Sasuke, why don't you show us what you can do?" Hannah asked, trying to stop him from killing Naruto through the sheer force of his glare.

Sasuke grunted in agreement, running through the hand signs they were taught as an easier form of the Henge no Jutsu. The version that trained shinobi used required only one, but was more difficult to learn.

He quickly turned into a good enough copy of their teacher from school, before they came to the Academy, and Hannah giggled as the short, bespectacled woman was surrounded by children, and several stopped to point out that Tsukiko-sensei was here, and swarmed round in excitement before Sasuke released the justu and turned back into his normal self.

"That was pretty cool, Sasuke." Naruto admitted reluctantly. "Mind giving me a hand with mine?"

"Sure." He went over with Naruto to work on his technique, and as the younger boy listened with an intent look on his face, Hannah felt a burst of pride at her boys. Sasuke had matured so much, and Naruto was more confident, and although they still teased each other, it lacked the edge that she had seen in the manga.

* * *

Their lessons for the next days were much of the same, Hannah stunning everyone in their singing class. She grinned like an idiot, glad that she had chosen this specific ability.

Sasuke continued to excel in almost every subject, and Naruto passed them all with good grades, as a result of Sasuke and Hannah's help. The three of them were determined to graduate together.

* * *

They graduated their first year together, Hannah at seven, Naruto at eight, and Sasuke at nine. They had all managed to make their way into the top set, which meant that they were eligible to try and graduate any time they wanted, but they all agreed that they weren't ready just yet. In fact, at their current skill level, the exam would kick their asses.

And that was something that would never happen – when they took the exam, they were going to bloody well ace it, and all make Genin. Hannah had noticed the trend in the amount of people who passed the test, and the number who actually went on to be Genin, after using her future knowledge and doing a bit of digging. Only about a third made it, with the remainder returning to the Academy to try again next year, up until the age of fifteen.

She was confident, however, that her boys would pass the exam, using teamwork together, even if they didn't include Sakura. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, however – if Sakura was going to be their third team-mate, she supposed she'd rather that they all gelled well as a team, but the thought of being replaced rankled at her. But she supposed that, if it was inevitable, better Sakura, who did grow stronger, than anyone else.

* * *

Their second and third years passed much the same as their first, only, on the first morning of their second year, their class had some new entrants. One of whom was Ino, and another of whom was Sakura. The two young girls were still in that BFF stage, and Hannah couldn't find it in herself do dislike them. Of course, once Sakura ended her friendship with Ino to pursue Sasuke, who CLEARLY wasn't interested, Hannah found it a lot harder to remain sympathetic. What the hell kind of person put hos before bros, anyway?

The three of them maintained a strong relationship, and Hannah now felt like they would be okay without her. The thought galled, a little, but mostly she was just glad that they'd be okay without her. She worried about what would happen when they were no longer together as a three, but she felt confident that Sasuke and Naruto would get along fine without her.

And if that thought caused a pain in her chest, well, she'd just have to suck it up. Because she was the adult here, and she had a dream to save.

* * *

Hannah and Naruto received their own apartments, in the same block as Sasuke, which was full of orphans and children taken into care who had decided to move out. They were small and functional, but they soon made them their own, painting the walls, adding posters, and in Naruto's case, growing a small greenhouse in his patch of back garden.

* * *

Graduation was upon them before Hannah realized – Naruto was twelve, and Sasuke thirteen, and they both felt like they were ready to take the exam and become Genin. Hannah knew that this was the same time they had passed in canon, and that meant that this was the real test of her meddling – would they pass on the basis of their teamwork, as she hoped, would they get it right the second time around, or would they fail altogether, as she feared. She couldn't see the third option happening, though, as both Naruto and Sasuke seemed more, well, balanced, this time around. They worked well together, and got along, albeit with a slight bit of teasing and some friendly rivalry.

Hannah felt content that she had done her best for the two of them. All that she could do now was continue to encourage them as they developed, as shinobi and as people, and become stronger herself, so that when the time came, she'd be able to stand alongside them.

* * *

The day of the final graduation test came, and Hannah, Sasuke and Naruto crammed as much revision as they could in. Unfortunately, like in canon, they were asked to perform the Clone Technique, which was the only one of the basic techniques Naruto had yet to master.

* * *

Hannah and Sasuke passed, and were awarded their headbands. She felt like crying on his behalf.

"Oh, Naruto, I'm so sorry – it's not fair!" Hannah comforted him later, all of their hands intertwined.

"It's not - you should have passed." Sasuke agreed. "You knew every other technique, it was just really bad luck that this happened."

"Thanks, guys." Naruto sniffled. "But I really want to be on my own for a bit."  
Hannah's spirits rose. If Naruto was alone, Mizuki could approach him about stealing the scroll from the Hokage, and he could pass by saving Iruka-sensei!

"Come on, Sasuke, let's leave him for a bit." Hannah went against all of her instincts to give Naruto a second chance at passing.

"Hana, are you sure..?" Sasuke interjected. Hannah beamed at the show of concern, although there were still tears in her eyes.

"I think he needs to be by himself for a while, you know? Let him get his head in order. Naruto, we'll wait up in my apartment – I'll put dinner on, so it'll be ready when you get back."

"Thanks..." Naruto was staring off into space, clearly distracted.

Hannah took Sasuke's hand and pulled him away, back to her little apartment, where she put on Naruto's favourite pork ramen.

"Comfort food?" Sasuke asked.

"Something like that." Hannah smiled secretively.

* * *

Naruto sat on the bench where Hana-chan and Sasuke had left him, crying quietly. It was approaching sundown, and the surroundings suited his bleak mood.

After all of the effort, all of the studying and training he had put in, how could he have failed? This meant that there was no chance of him being put in a team together with Sasuke, Hana-chan, or Sakura-chan.

He heard the rustle of footsteps, and looked up, instantly alert, only to lower his head after seeing that it was Mizuki-sensei.

"Naruto, I'm glad I found you!" He jogged over to where the dejected boy was sitting. "I've got a proposition for you..."

* * *

It was two in the morning, and Naruto had yet to come home. Hana had fallen asleep on the sofa, but only after Sasuke had promised to wake her if anything happened. There was the sound of a commotion outside, and after checking to make sure Hana was still asleep, he went outside to investigate.

"Is something happening?" he asked the first shinobi he encountered, who took a look at him, saw his Leaf forehead protector, and relaxed. "We're looking for the Uzumaki brat – he stole a scroll of forbidden techniques from the Hokage's office, and we need to get it back – those techniques are all forbidden to anyone under Jounin!"

Well. Damn.

"I'll go get any reinforcements I can, and then I'll help you search." Sasuke nodded determinedly. He had to wake Hana – this wasn't good. Was was Naruto trying to accomplish here?

Hannah was awoken roughly by Sasuke shaking her shoulder. "Has Naruto come back?" She murmured fuzzily.

"No, Hana, he's gone and stolen a scroll from the Hokage! What could he be thinking..." Sasuke looked about ready to pull his hair out.

"It's okay, we'll join in the search. We know him better than anyone else, so we can find him, and convince everyone that this was a big misunderstanding – maybe if we hide the scroll, and say Naruto was here all night?"

"I don't know, Hana..." Sasuke looked unsure.

"Well, what else can we do?" She asked wearily. She knew that Naruto was somewhere forested, from the manga and anime, so all they had to do was avoid those places, and it should be fine, right?

* * *

Naruto reappeared near sunup, bruised and exhausted, but triumphant. "I did it – I learned how to do the Shadow Clone Technique, and saved Iruka-sensei, and he let me graduate! It turned out Mizuki-sensei was a traitor, and he told me that stealing the scroll would let me pass, but really he wanted to sell it to another village, and... Hana-chan, why are you crying?" He rambled on, only stopping once he noticed the tears coursing down Hannah's cheeks.

"I'm just happy, is all." She beamed at him. "We graduate together!"

* * *

It was the day when the teams were announced, and Hannah was awaiting hers eagerly. There were thirty-three people who had graduated in total, which made eleven teams. There were only ten teams in the previous timeline, so she hoped that this meant she brought the total number of teams up, so that she wouldn't have to feel bad about stealing somebody else's spot.

"Team six, Natsuo Touya, Youji Sumeragi and Ritsuka Shirou." They were approaching the canon teams that made up most of the rookie nine. "Team seven, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto and Sakurazuka Hana."

WAIT. WHAT?!

"Sensei, could you repeat that?" Hannah put her hand in the air, and listened with bated breath as he said it again. She was in the same team as Sasuke and Naruto. But, how?

She decided not to look a gift horse in the mouse. The chance of this happening was infinitesimal, and to be honest, she hadn't even dared to dream of this happening. But happened it had. She could always go to the Hokage and ask to be placed on another team, but did she really want to?

She looked inside herself, and the answer was no. She wanted to be on Team Seven, with Sasuke and Naruto. She had resigned herself to losing them, but now, it didn't have to happen, and she felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

She wouldn't have to lose them!

* * *

They waited in the classroom to meet their new Genin team leader, Hatake Kakashi. Hannah was almost bouncing with glee – Kakashi was, without a doubt, her favourite character, and his death was what had made her stop reading Shippuden.

He finally arrived late, and Naruto had placed a chalk eraser in the door, so that it would fall on his head when he opened it. Hannah and Sasuke both smirked at this, but at Kakashi's comment, the smiles left all of their faces.

They reconvened up on the roof, after Kakashi vanished in a cloud of smoke and leaves.

"So. I'm your new Genin instructor, Hatake Kakashi. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourselves?"

Naruto looked at him suspiciously. "Like what?" He asked. "Give us an example!"

"You know, likes, dislikes, goals, that kind of thing."

"You go first, sensei – let us get to know you as well!" Hannah requested.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi, I don't really like or dislike anything, my goals, well, those are for me to know, and that's pretty much it!" He smiled at them. "So, blondie, you go first."

"My name's Uzumaki Naruto, I like ramen, and I don't like failing tests! My goal is to become the next Hokage!" Naruto smiled, and Hatake snorted.

"Okay, Sasuke, you next."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke, and my goal is to avenge my family."

"Is that all? Well, Hana, your turn!"

"My name is Sakurazuka Hana, I like my team-mates, and I don't like silly fangirls who spend more time on their hair then they do on training. My ambition is to help Naruto and Sasuke achieve their goals, and that's pretty much it!"

"Hmmm." He smiled his one-eyed smile at them. "I think that this is going to be an interesting year."


End file.
